(BIVN) – The fourth annual “Heroes and Helpers” event was held at the Hilo Target store, early Saturday morning. 

Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi and various first responder agencies participated in the event, bringing gifts and holiday joy to area teens and young children. 

From a news release describing the event:

This year’s event at the Target Hilo store had a total of 50 young participants. With this year’s focus primarily with keiki and youth residing in the Hilo district, this special event brings much needed joy during the holidays, while fostering positive relationships between the youth and the officers and other first responders.

The children were partnered with members of the Hawaii Police Department, Hawaii Fire Department, Hawaii Air and Army National Guard, DLNR, and other agencies. Each youth was given a $125 Target gift card made possible through donations from Catholic Charities Hawaii, Target Corporation, and others listed below. Community volunteers also giftwrapped the items selected by the children.

This year’s participating heroes:

• Hawaii Police Department – HPD
• Hawaii Fire Department – HFD
• Hawaii Air National Guard
• Hawaii Army National Guard
• State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
• State Sheriffs Office in Hilo
• County of Hawai‘i Office of the Prosecuting Attorney

photo courtesy of Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi

This year’s helpers and volunteers:

• Target Stores
• Catholic Charities Hawaii
• Hawaiian Electric
• Starbucks
• Hawaiʻi Police Department
• County of Hawai‘i – Office of the Prosecuting Attorney
• State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
• HCC ADN Nursing Cohort of 2025
• Big Island Medical Reserve Corps

This year’s donors:

• Target Stores
• Catholic Charities Hawaii
• State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO)
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Hilo Post 3875
• Punaluʻu Bakery
• Starbucks
• JeiAngel Digital Design

Hawaii on Thursday received more than $6 million from the federal government to implement its Digital Equity Plan, part of a nationwide effort to address barriers to internet access and use.

The funding is provided through the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The grant — part of the “Internet for All” initiative and a key element of President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda — aims to tackle challenges such as insufficient digital skills, lack of affordable devices like computers or tablets and the need for greater online safety awareness among underserved communities.

“Internet is now the essential tool for communications in our modern world. It’s essential for access to jobs, access to education, access to health care. That hasn’t always been true but it is very true today.

“Yet today, here in America in 2024, thousands of families in Hawaii and millions of people across the country still lack access to a high-speed internet connection, or they lack the tools or the means to use it,” said Alan Davidson, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and administrator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Hawaii’s approved digital equity plan includes initiatives to expand telehealth adoption, improve access to internet-enabled devices and provide cybersecurity tools and more affordable broadband options across the state.

The plan also aims to establish a digital navigator program targeting populations most in need.

The efforts are expected to strengthen communities by ensuring that more residents have the opportunity to connect and thrive online.

Hawaii will utilize the $6 million funding to execute its digital equity plan, which focuses on equipping individuals and communities with the tools and skills needed to achieve meaningful access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.

The award comes from the initial funding round of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, which allocated over $800 million for states, U.S. territories, native entities, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to apply for grants aimed at implementing their digital equity plans.

The plans were previously developed through the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke explained on a Thursday conference call that connectivity is like a three-legged stool, requiring three essential components: infrastructure, devices and digital literacy. She emphasized that while building the infrastructure to connect Hawaii to the mainland and beyond is crucial, it would be ineffective without ensuring people have access to devices.

Furthermore, Luke highlighted the importance of digital literacy, noting that even with widespread access to devices and Wi-Fi, the effort would fall short if residents lack the skills to use the internet effectively, such as completing essential online forms.

She added that the $6 million in federal funding will play a vital role in educating the population, improving digital literacy and helping residents navigate complex online services.

Hawaii will use the $6,017,160 in funding to implement initiatives that include supporting the expansion of telehealth programs, which will increase access to health care serv­ices statewide.

The funding will
also help increase access to internet- enabled devices, cybersecurity protections and affordable broadband services, ensuring more residents can connect to essential digital resources.

Additionally, the state plans to establish and expand a statewide digital navigator training program that focuses on teaching digital literacy, particularly for populations most in need.

As the program progresses, more funding opportunities will become available.

The state will spend the next 90 days working with counties, nonprofits and public partners to identify broadband expansion projects, with more details to follow.

“We’re going to work with the counties, the nonprofits, as well as other public partners, to identify these projects. And we actually have to get these approved by NTIA. So, some of the projects are making devices available, offering free digital literacy classes, and setting up a digital navigator program — a statewide program to scale up either existing
digital navigators or create new ones, so that these individuals can be trained to help their communities.

“Also, we will provide free access Wi-Fi points in public places and things like that,” the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Hawaii Broadband &Digital Equity Office’s broadband coordinator, Chung Chang, said.

The “Internet for All” initiative, a federal program designed to promote digital inclusion, was established to support all states and territories.

The funding is allocated based on need, and according to Davidson, Hawaii has significant demand for these resources.

The department has approved funding for approximately 40 out of the 56 states and territories.

“Access to affordable, reliable Internet is critical to support education, health care, and the socioeconomic welfare of our communities,” U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono said in a statement.

“Despite the ever-increasing importance of Internet access, there are still many in Hawaii who lack this access or the tools to use it to its full potential. This robust investment in Hawaii’s broadband infrastructure and digital literacy will help to ensure our kupuna can utilize telehealth services, our keiki can participate in remote learning, and our communities can develop the skills necessary to thrive in an evolving digital workforce.”

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Lauren Cameron of Anchorage has been missing since Dec. 11, and a multi-day search ensued.

In a press release Kaua’i Police Department stated the search for 32-year-old Cameron has been suspended as of Saturday.

Multiple agencies have been involved in the search for the past three days.

Family members said Cameron was vacationing in Hawaii with her boyfriend and was last seen Wednesday. She was reportedly swept out by a strong current as she swam in the waters off Hanakāpī‘ai Beach.

“Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Lauren,” said Kaua‘i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson in a written statement. “Thank you to our first responders and partners for their efforts with this search.”

There is currently no published information regarding why the search was suspended. Alaska’s News Source reached out to Kaua’i Police Department for comment and have yet to hear back.

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